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Show MANY YEARS AGO. Reminisences of the Prophet's Martyrdom. County Recorder Daniels Distinctly Recalls Re-calls to Mind the Excitement Attending Attend-ing the Crime. Forty-seven years ago yesterday oc-curreu oc-curreu the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, at Carthage jail, Hancock Han-cock county, 111. Our county recorder, James E. I)aniel3. was at that time at Quincy, 111., a distance of about forty miles rom the scene ol the terrible tragedy. He was then a boy of seventeen seven-teen summers, but distinctly recollects the occasion. The news flashed to Quincy and was announced by the toll-ins: toll-ins: of tirebells and the blowing of fog horns on the ferry boats. One young ft-llow, who had just arrived from Carthage, Car-thage, ran to the public square where the people were gathered, and, throwing throw-ing his hat into the air, shouted at the top of his voice, 'Hurrah, Jo Smith is killed!" The late President John Taylor, who was present and wounded on the occasion, occa-sion, says: "I was sitting at one of the front windows of the jail when I saw a number of men, with painted faces, coming around the corner of the jail, and aiming toward the stairs. The other brethren had seen the same, for, as I went to the door, I found Brother Hyrum Smith and Dr. Richards already al-ready leaning against it. They both pressed against the door, with their shoulders, to prevent its being opened, as the lock and latch were comparatively compara-tively useless. While in this position the mob, who had come upstairs and tried to onen the door, probably thought it was locked, and fired a ball through the keyhole; at this Dr. Richards and Brother Hyrum leaped back from the door, with their faces toward it; almost instantly another an-other ball passed through a panel of the door, and struck Brother Hyrum on the left side of the nose, entering his face and head. At the same instant, in-stant, another ball from the outride entered his back passing through his body and striking his watch. The ball came lrom the back, through the jail window, opposite the door, and must, from its range, have been fired from the Carthage Greye, who were placed there ostensibly for our protection, as the balls from the lirearms shot close by the jail, would have entered the ceiling, we being in the second story, and there never was a time after that when Hyrum could have received the latter wound. Immediately, when the balls struck him, he fell flat on his back, crying as he fell, '"I am a dead man." He never moved afterward. "I shall never forget the deep feeling feel-ing of sympathy and regard manifested man-ifested in the countenance of -Brother Joseph as he drew nigh to Hyrum, and leaning over him exclaimed. 'Oh! my poor, dear brother Hyrum I' He, however, instantly in-stantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wlieelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, dis-charges, two of whom, I am informed, died. I had in my hands a large, strong hickory stick, brought there Dy Brother Markham. and left by him, which I had seized as soon as I saw the mob approach; ard while Brother Joseph was firing the pistol, I stood close behind him. As soon as he had discharged it he stepped back and I immediately took his place next to the door, while he occupied the one I had done while he was shooting. The firing of Brother Joseph made our assailants as-sailants pause for a moment; very soon after, however, they pushed the door some - distance open, and protruded pro-truded and discharged their guns into the room, when I parried them off with ray stick, giving another direction to the ball. "It certainly was a terrible scene; streams of fire as thick as these men tired, and, unarmed as we were, it looked like certain death. 1 remember remem-ber feeling as though my time had come, but I do not know when, in any critical position, I was more calm, unruffled energetic, and acted with .ore promptness and decision. de-cision. Every moment the crowd at the door became more dense, as they were unquestionably pressed on by those in the rear ascending the stairs, until the whole entrance at the door was literally crowded with muskets and rifles, which, with the swearing, shouting and demoniacal expressions ex-pressions of those outside the dojr and on the stairs, and the firing of the guns, mingled with their horrid oaths and execrations, made it look like pandemonium let loose and was, indeed, a fit representation of the horrid deed in which they were engaged. en-gaged. "After parrying the guns for some time, which now protruded thicker and farther into the room, and seeing no hope of escape or protection there, as we wrre now unarmed, it occurred to me that we might have some friends outside, and that there might be some chance to escape in that direction but here there seemed to be none. As I expected them every moment to rush into the room, I rna'le a spring for the window which was riuht ui front of the jail door. As I reached the window, ami was on the point of leaping out, I was struck by a ball from the door about midway of my thigh. 1 fell like a bird when shot. j 'It would seem that immediately after af-ter my attempt to leap out of the win-! dow, Joseph also did the same thing.! The first thing that I noticed was a : cry that he had leaped out of the win- j dow. A cessation of firing followed. ! The mob rushed down stairs. It appears that Joseph, thus murderously murder-ously beset and in dire extremitv, rushed to the window and threw himself him-self out, receiving in the act several shots, and with the cry, "O Lord, my God !" fell Gead to the" ground. The fiends were not yet satiated; but setting set-ting up the lifeless body of the slain prophet against the. well curb, riddled it with bullets." Corbett to Fight In Salt T,ake. Salt Lake City, June 27. James Corbett, the famous California pupiii.-t, who recently fought Peter Jackson, arrived here to-day, and will give an exhibition on "Monday niht. Corbett was a resident of this citv s m e years ago. |